Let's talk about silicone in hair products...

Let’s Start With The Basics

What is silicone and what does it do you might ask? Without getting too sciency, Silicone is almost like a rubber or plastic, it is essentially acting as a sealant against both water and air and prevents moisture from penetrating the hair shaft. In general, silicones are incredibly hydrophobic, meaning they essentially “waterproof” the hair and do not wash out easily. Ever had a blow-dry at a salon or blow dried it yourself and noticed your hair become noticeably smokey, this is effectively the silicones heating up, and burning off the hair – EEK! Basically, silicones act as FaceTune for damaged, dry, or blah hair.

But too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Though silicones are harmless, they do tend to build up on your hair, which can eventually leave your hair weighed down, limp, greasy looking and undefined, and impossible to style – something none of us want!

Silicone is used widely in high street haircare products to give a slippery, silky, frizz-free finish to hair, which is ideal for certain hair types. But if you’re curly and happy about it, silicone won’t suit you, as it weighs down waves, curls and coils to make them look neither one thing nor another. If your hair is fine, or straight and you want your bouncy blow dry to last… then silicone should be avoided.

Silicones are mainly added to hair products because they are cheap for companies to use, so your Shampoo and Conditioner are cheaper to buy. Silicones also make the hair feel TEMPORARILY (can’t stress this enough) great as well. Though these plasticy-polymers leave your mane looking shiny and sleek – this is an artificial shine caused by a layer of plastic that builds up on the hair. Silicone suffocates the hair and prevents any nutrients from penetrating the hair shaft. With time, our much-loved tresses will become dry and brittle, due to the lack of moisture which can lead to breakage, frizz and brittleness. If you are using leave-in oils, hair masks or other treatment-based products, chances are they aren’t really going to be working if you are using them alongside a silicone-based shampoo or conditioner. Hair that is dry and damaged can be left feeling and looking healthy and gives the hair a slippery-when-wet-feel which is perfect for detangling those unmanageable tresses we can all get from time to time. Another downside of silicone is that they can’t be washed out of the hair easily as they are not water soluble. Over time, the plasticy, rubbery molecules build up on the hair which is what we call “silicone build up.

Still think your supermarket shampoo will cut it?

Chances are if you have been using supermarket products over a long period time, your hairdresser will be unable to achieve that Instagram-worthy hair. - has no body or the blow dry won't last. Clarifying shampoo is great to get rid of any possible buildup (which also causes hair to fall flat), and follow with a light conditioner just on the ends if needed.

If your products say “silicone-free”

Top tip: Don’t believe everything you read on the label.

A lot of hair care products market themselves as “silicone-free” when they really mean they don’t contain any of the “bad” silicones.

To ensure your shampoo or conditioner is truly free from silicone, it’s best to look over the ingredients list.

Symptoms of silicone product build-up in hair

So what does silicone build-up look like and how do you know if you’re actually suffering from it? Below are tell tale signs:

• Oily roots but dry hair lengths. Build-up will feel slippery and weigh down your hair. This means that the sebum produced by your scalp has an easier way to travel down the lengths of your hair – which will lead to greasier hair. However, because silicones wrap around your hair shaft, this will prevent moisture to actually penetrate your tresses, which leads to dryness of the lengths from within. (You might also find yourself washing your hair more frequently to get rid of the excess oiliness, but excessive shampooing will also lead to extra dry hair!)

• Long-term hair dulling over time. As more build-up is created, less sebum has access to coat the hair from within. Without necessary amount of sebum on and in your strands, your natural hair shine will reduce and hair will look dull.

• Inability to hold its natural shape. As product accumulation increases, hair will be weighted down and look limp. This extra weight on your strands can make you lose the natural curl pattern of your hair.

• Breakage. As the hair dries out due to loss of moisture the hair shaft is weakened, it becomes more susceptible to snapping and breaking. Think about it as bending a dry tree branch vs fresh branch – the fresh will bend more, but dry branch will snap and break easier.

• Scalp irritation. The accumulation and clogged pores on your scalp can lead to redness and / or itchiness.

• Flakiness. Excess sebum on the scalp can lead to fungi growth as the sebum and dead skin cells have nowhere to go with the layer of product build-up, causing your scalp to dry and flake.

• Hair loss and thinning. As accumulation continues to get worse on scalp, the hair follicles almost become strangled to the point that the hair shaft is separated from the follicle and falls out. If leaving the pores unclogged, this can also prevent new hair growth.

Silicone Free Products that I have personally used on myself and on clients.

WELLA ELEMENTS

FORMULATED WITHOUT SULPHATES & SILICONES

This shampoo gently cleanses hair with a luxurious foaming experience, without stripping out hair moisture. It revives hair smoothness and shine for a healthy look and feel.

TRESemmé

The Pro Pure range is free of sulfates, parabens, and mineral oils to provide a worry-free wash experience that helps repair visible signs of hair damage. and it's been approved by the PETA

(People of the Ethical Treatment of Animals).

OLAPLEX

A high quality cleansing and conditioning routine means zero buildup + no sulphates that strip colour so you're left only with shine, softness and moisture.

LIVING PROOF

Eliminates frizz, blocks humidity, and adds shine for smoother, healthier-looking hair. Lightweight yet infused with enriching ingredients

OUI

Hydrating shampoo cleanses, fights frizz, hydrates  and revives shine for medium hair by using a fusion of keratin and kumquat extract, plus babassu and coconut oils. Follow with Medium Conditioner for best results.

KÉRASTASE

Infused with clever complexes it gently cleans hair without stripping it while proteins deliver a really nourishing treatment. Perfect for conditioning normal to slightly dry hair and protecting it from oxidation.

COCO&EVE

Cleansing and moisture boosting conditioning for shine, softness, smoothness & strength with no frizz or split ends. Free from drying sulphates, de-volumizing silicones & packed full of Balinese botanicals and powerful active ingredients plus infused with our iconic coconut & fig fragrance.

The C-Shape haircut...

The C-shape haircut has become super popular for many clients especially clients with hair on the thinner side.

The C-shape cut gets it’s name from the way its face-framing layers are cut into "c" shapes. The layers typically begin at the chin length and curve inward. It's a versatile style that works for practically anyone. The C-shape haircut works great on anyone with longer hair — especially people with thick hair — because it removes weight and bulk.

If you have short or fine hair, the cut gives hair texture and volume, and it actually has the ability to make hair look longer thanks to the way it falls.

How is a C-Shape Haircut Different From a V-Shape or U-Shape Cut?

All the alphabet-themed cut names can get a little confusing, so let me quickly break the most popular ones down for you. The C-shape haircut heavily affects face framing, whereas the V-shape cut is mainly sharp layering throughout the hair. U-shape is a rounded look with the longest hair in the middle and the sides sculpted shorter.

The C-shape cut is the addition of wispy bangs and face framing pieces. - Seamlessly connected which gives a sexy soft look.

What are the benefits of the C-shape haircut?

Besides all of the above, the main benefit of the U-shape haircut is that you can play around with the length, going as short as the shoulder blades to the mid back. It features face-framing layers, which lend dimension and stop hair looking limp.

Sleek, straight hair will also work well with the C-shape haircut, as will a bouncy blow-dry or you might be more of an air-dried hair person. You can still easily style this cut using a heat-free method.

How is this look achieved?

To achieve the look, the hair is “split down the middle of the head from the front to the nape of the neck, it is pulled forward on each side and vertically cut to create face-framing c-shape.-  It works great with a fringe, longer bangs and on hair where distinctive layers have already been cut. Internal layering are cut in underneath the top section of hair to accentuates the style, this instantly adds more volume and texture.

With any layered style it's best to get regular trims to maintain the style. I tend to recommend my clients to rebook every six to eight weeks, just to dust away any split ends.

Thanks for stopping by.

Noelle 💋

MORNING RITUALS THAT CAN TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE

Having had a health scare a few months back due to stress, grieving the loss of my mother and not looking after my health and wellbeing as I'd normally would. I had been suffering from health anxiety and was near to having depression as well as feeling lost in life.

I knew at that moment that things had to change.

I decided to go back to meditating (Jay Shetty) 10 mins guided meditation. Regular reiki sessions and spending a lot of time in nature (going for 30min -1 hrs walks and guided stretching exercises via YouTube. I also limit my social media time, stopped watching the news.

Here are 12 things I find myself doing upon waking up before I've even had the chance to check emails, my phone or log into my laptop:

1. Pray (and thank God for the many blessings He's bestowed upon me).

2. 10 min Stretch, exercise freestyle or via youtube

3. I sit up or sometimes lay on my yoga matt and I do 10 minutes of Jay Shetty guided gratitude meditation and I take a couple minutes after where I visualise how I want my day to go, whilst I do this I force myself to smile. As silly as this reads, it really helps to set happy, positive energy. Smiling activate tiny molecules in your brain that are designed to fend off stress.

4. Make my bed (I've found that if I don't do this, I'll want to jump back in.)

5. Drink a glass of water (you are super dehydrated upon waking up).

6. Open my blinds and let natural light in. (This is actually my favourite part of my day.)

7. Shower and affirm myself. While in the shower I put on my affirmations and guided gratitude audio. These are 5 mins each. I make sure that I repeat each statement intentionally. You have to believe what you are saying for this to truly work.

8. Make breakfast. (Normally, it's oatmeal and fruit.)

9. Take my vitamins.

10. Listen to an empowering podcast or audio book. (This can be done while making breakfast.)

11. Put on feel-good music.

12. Aromatherapy. (I find that when I put Peppermint oil in my diffuser, it helps energize me. Lemon awakens my senses.)

I have noticed such a dramatic change in my life since putting these rituals in place and my friends and family have all pointed out the shift they've seen in my energy and overall attitude towards life since I've been doing this as well.

A lot of people may say, "Sorry, I don't have time," but making the choice to go to bed earlier, and wake up an hour or two earlier makes all of the difference.

If you put a good morning ritual that works for you in place versus the usual routine of scrambling out of bed, hopping in the shower, plugging into emails, and rushing out the door, you increase your chances of having a productive, well-balanced, and positive day.

Try it, and let me know what happens!

If you would like more info on the what apps, guided meditations I use please leave a message in the comments sections at the bottom of this page.

Do you have a morning rituals...

What's your current morning ritual?

Let me know in the comments section below. x